Joseph and I spent a week last summer visiting Jeju Island with a family from chapel. We had a great time exploring this beautiful area of South Korea. It was misty and wet most of the week, but we were still able to enjoy our time.
Jusangjeolli Cliff
gorgeous Jeju waterfall
The landscape all around Jeju is just beautiful…lush and green.
Yongduam Rock (Dragon’s Head Rock)
So thankful for the Dutcher family who allowed us to join their family getaway while Scott and Mary were working. Min Hee planned everything for us, took care of our accommodations, and even hired a driver for the week. What a blessing!
The Dutcher Family
We did quite a bit of hiking throughout the week, finding some out of the way spots as well as the main tourist attractions.
along the 1100 Altitude Wetland Discovery Trail
along the Olle Trail
at the coffee shop on the Olle Trail
Seopjikoji Lighthouse
on the way to the lighthouse
One day, we stopped at a locals only area on the waterfront. A lady had a “restaurant” set up right on the water. She went out, grabbed some food, and prepared it for anyone who wanted to eat it. I do not consider myself a germaphobe, but if I were even thinking about becoming one, this experience would have pushed me over the edge.
the sea squirt kitchen
sea squirt (YUCK) – a very chewy, fishy-flavored fruit gusher. There is a reason is it called “squirt”, and I could have chewed and chewed for hours with no progress. I finally just had to swallow — my pride and the sea squirt.
black pig BBQ – a staple on Jeju
We were able to hike up Hallasan, Jeju’s dormant crater volcano. The scenery was amazing on the way up, unfortunately, however, the crater was covered in clouds when we reached the top, so we couldn’t see into the crater itself.
view from Hallasan
We also enjoyed touring the Jeju Alive Museum where we became part of each scene. We had a great time being silly!
One morning, we decided to go to Marado Island situated off the southern end of South Korea. We took a ferry from Jeju to Marado, but just before we got on the boat, my phone sent this alert.
Monsoon Warning
Of course, I can pronounce these words, but I have no idea what they mean. I asked my friend, Min Hee, and she said, “It’s a monsoon warning, but we already have our ferry tickets. Let’s go!” OH MY! I felt like Jonah! We did reach the island safely (only by the grace of God) and were given 30 minutes to make it around the island. The ferry captain said, “This is our one and only supply run to the island for the next few days due to the weather. If you aren’t back on the ferry in 30 minutes, you will wait out the storm here.” No, thank you. We were back on with 10 minutes to spare. Thankfully, the trip back to Jeju was much better.
Marado Island
Even with the storm, though, the island boasted lovely scenery.
Marado Island in a monsoon warning
southernmost tip of South Korea
The day before we came back to Daegu, we made our way to Udo Island to spend a few hours at the beach. It was a great way to end our vacation.
Udo Island
To wrap up, let me tell you a story about Mysterious Road.
Jeju boasts “The Jeju Mysterious Road,” also known as Dokkaebi Road, which lies on a hill at the foot of a mountain, and connects two major highways on Jejudo Island. This road is “mysterious” because objects appear to be rolling UPHILL even though you can see that it is going DOWNHILL!
Mysterious Road
See? The road behind me appears to be headed downhill and then back up again in the distance, but when we rolled a bottle of water “down the hill”, it actually rolled “up”.
I decided to determine if I could figure out the truth of the road. Sure enough, as I scanned the horizon, I noticed the tilt of the landscape versus the tilt of the road. It was all an optical illusion! I went further to find out if my body would respond to the truth or if my eyes would deceive my body. I decided to run “down” the road and then back “up” again. Sure enough, as I ran “downhill”, I felt my heart rate climb and my legs kick into gear to push myself as if I were headed uphill. When I turned around to come back “up” to the car, my body adjusted and performed as if I were headed down a hill. My body responded to the truth of the situation even though my eyes deceived me.
It is the same principle in our walk in this world. The world is full of deception! Truth, like Mysterious Road, is skewed, and people, all too often, rely on what their eyes tell them or, more accurately, what their hearts tell them. The Bible says “the heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable.” (Jeremiah 17:9) It is so important that we keep our eyes and our hearts on THE TRUTH, the person of Jesus Christ, so that we are not deceived by the illusions of this world!
In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
John 14: 15-17 goes on to say, “If you love Me, you will keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.”
John 16:13 tells us, “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.”
When responding to the Sadducees and their questions about the resurrection, Jesus responded to them saying, “Are you not deceived because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God?” (Mark 12:24)
I pray that I would always be focused on THE Truth, Jesus Christ, and that I would have the belt of truth buckled around my waist. I pray that I will continue to learn the Scriptures and hide His Word in my heart so that I am not deceived! And friends, I pray the same for you.
My favorite picture of the week
Choosing Life 
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